


Kira Kurama and L Uzumaki

by Meaninglessness



Category: Death Note, Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crime Fighting, Drabble Sequence, Friendship/Love, Gen, Justice, Redemption, Reincarnation, i think
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-03
Updated: 2016-02-15
Packaged: 2018-05-18 01:01:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5892109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meaninglessness/pseuds/Meaninglessness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Who knew that all that was needed for Light Yagami to wake up to the truth was being reincarnated into the body of a giant demon fox? Not L Lawliet, that was for sure. Either way, Light now lived in his stomach after pulling his soul into the soulless body of Naruto Uzumaki. And didn't that sound weird? This world really does need justice though and who better for the job than L?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Enter– Light “Kira Kurama” Yagami, the Kyuubi no Kitsune

He was dying. Dying. He was dying!

He couldn’t be dying! This wasn’t supposed to happen! He was Kira!

Light staggered against the wall, injured and bloody. He had lost, he had LOST.

The wall was rough and painful against him as he slumped against it. It agitated his wounds and he sucked in a breath. Even on his deathday, he was too proud to cry out. He let out a bitter chuckle.

Everything, everything he had done was for nothing. It was true, the Death Note did bring nothing but misery. He had lived for this one goal, waiting for the day he could become God of his perfect, wonderful, crime free world and was humiliatingly defeated.

When was the last time he was happy? When was the last time he had lived for himself? When was the last time he had relaxed and stopped pushing himself?

Light collapsed weakly onto his knees, struggling to turn and rest his back against the stone wall. A trail of blood connected him to the entrance of the abandoned warehouse. His head lolled to the side as he watched Ryuk come into view, just putting away a pen.

He was going to die.

Odd. The only time he could think of being happy was with L. L was the only ever person who saw threw him, who could provoke a reaction from him, who could be a true equal.

L must be laughing at him beyond the grave. Or perhaps he was pouting at not being the one to execute Light himself. Perhaps he was pouting at being beaten by Light only for Light to be given such an end.

The Great Kira, sunken this low.

He let out a laugh that became a cough.

“Hyuk, hyuk,” Ryuk caught Light’s attention and his eyes moved to look over at Ryuk. “Goodbye, Light-o.”

Light’s eyes closed and he faded.

* * *

 

_You… You’re an amusing human aren’t you?_

_Wanting to become god? Godlike?_

_Wanting power to change the world?_

_Hyahya! How nice…_

_I’ll give you it. I’ll give you it. I’ll give you it all! Power! Immortality!_

_This will be… very entertaining._

_Hyahyahyahya!_

_You’ll do well in entertaining me, human! So I’ll give you new life!_

_Oh, yes, you WILL entertain me greatly, human… Or should I say… Kitsune._

_Hyahyahyahya!_

* * *

 

Light.

Why was there Light?

Light, ha! That’s his name… right?

Wait, but didn’t he… die?

So why was there Light? Why did he still exist?

He blinked his eyes open, orienting himself in his environment. He was standing on four limbs and he could see grass, trees, sky. He could feel it and hear it and smell it.

Odd, that.

There were also some weird creatures in similar positions to him, all in a circle, with a man in the middle of them.

He was alive…

But why was he standing on four limbs?

…

“Holy crap…” Light murmured quietly, looking down at his body. “I’m a fox. A freaking fox.”

Oddly enough, he felt only slight confusion at that. No panic, no anger, no wtf. It was like his emotions and thoughts and memories were coming in through a filter. Now why was he confused to be a fox?

It came back to him slowly, sluggishly. A thought… He was human, right? Or he used to be human at least. Light Yagami was his name. So was… Kira… No, Kira was a title, yes, that’s it.

The Death Note. He had used the Death Note and payed for it with his miserable ending and then… a voice. There had been a voice telling him of godlike powers and immortality to be granted to him.

Then he woke up like this.

So this was his second chance at life? As a fox? Some sort of dulled emotion – excitement or panic perhaps – flitted in him.

Then the man opened his eyes as did the other weird creatures. Then the man spoke, and thus began Light’s life as the Kyuubi no Kitsune, AKA Kira Kurama.


	2. Two: Exeunt – Naruto Uzumaki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Naruto Uzumaki's soul leaves

Being a god was infinitely boring, Light soon found out. His original excitement had puttered out to almost nothing. Immortality was boring and so was godhood.

He was a Biju, the most powerful Biju if the legends of Kitsune were to be trusted, Kyuubi.

Hagoromo was a great man and Light, now Kira Kurama, the Kyuubi no Kitsune (some great alliteration, if he may say so himself), admired him greatly. It was through the tale of the man’s mother, Kaguya, that he had eventually realized and accepted his own faults. Well, that and the some hundred years he had been alive for.

Kaguya was a scary thought, not because of her power though. Light was not afraid of her. Light was afraid of the idea that he may have become something like her had Near not beaten him.

Warped by power, despite originally wanting peace. As the saying goes, “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Kaguya had been corrupted absolutely.

At first, Kira had wanted to carry out and accomplish Hagoromo’s dream with vigor. He and his siblings, the other Biju, had loved the loved the man, despite not being with him for long, and had wished to accomplish his dream. But they soon found the humans to be rotten and corrupted and, slowly, they changed as well. They lost faith in the humans, and the humans lost faith in them. In the end, Kira was the only one left, the most naïve and determined, the least warped by aggression and war.

Yet he, too, had eventually given up. He had never let the Chakra that made up his body define him though, and that was where he and his siblings differed. They loved each other, but after what they had gone through, with the changes in the others, his own stubbornness, his arrogance and humanity, they had left each other on bad terms.

Eventually, he had been captured by humans and sealed and lost his faith.

Yes, there were plenty of good people in this world, and his hosts weren’t bad, but none of them felt right. None of them treated him as anything more than a powerful beast. Mito did respect him to an extent, and Kushina accepted his existence almost like he was a gigantic volatile battery. And Minato…? Well, he wasn’t sure what the other half of his body thought about Minato, since they were kind of separated right now.

His own views and morals had warped overtime due to his treatment and a sickening boredom had overtaken him. The only times in his life he had felt true emotion was with his siblings and the anger of being controlled by Madara Uchiha… twice. As well as the Shinigami King. That meeting had been quite a bit entertaining. Though it would be nice if he could have the other half of his body back.

Being a tailed beast and a sort-of chakra construct was incredibly weird.

He growled in remembrance, but didn’t move from his lazy position behind the bars of his cage.

Kira had long since thrown away the masks he once wore. They were useless unless he was in a humanoid form. What use did a gigantic nine tailed fox have for petty masks of perfection anyways? He entertained himself by scaring children and destroying things nowadays.

Huffing, Kira rested his head on his hand/paw and turned on his side.

He felt sorry for his new host, he really did, for being born into a world of idiots and rotten people (though that probably had something to do with killing the boy’s parents as well. To be fair, they were trying to imprison him unjustly, suceeded, and thought him a beast with no feelings). Honestly, if they couldn’t tell the difference between a container and what it contained, then they really were stupid. He was surprised they didn’t eat their shopping bags, mistaking the bag for the food inside. To actually think that he, the great Kyuubi no Kitsune, could be naïve this three year old brat.

It was so boring.

Then, all of a sudden, the place began to shake. Kira looked up, wondering if something interesting was happening.

Oh dear. His host was injured and dying.

His host, three years old and playing with kunai, had gotten his throat slit after tripping while being chased by an angry villager.

Growling softly, Kira fed his chakra through the cracks of the seal to help his host heal. The water around him turned red like blood as he did.

Disgusting. Why the hell was this place a sewer again?

He could think of many answers to that question, but he wasn’t going to complain too much. It was sure better than being staked to a round stone like in his last host.

A clang of metal made him frown as the pipes above began creaking and falling. Something was wrong. The body of his host was healing but his soul was escaping. The environment was fading, becoming an empty white space with a seal floating in mid-air in front of him.

Kira snarled. Oh no. He refused to be imprisoned in a soulless body. That would be absolutely terrible! He couldn’t even take over, thanks to the seal, but the body wouldn’t die, thanks to his presence. He wouldn’t be released.

He would not let that happen. Not only would it be infinitely boring, but he would be imprisoned, alone, without freedom until someone killed his miserable host or he was extracted.

Throwing out his considerable power, Kira used his Chakra and intent and _pulled_ , latching onto the first soul he could find.

There was a disorientating moment as he became weightless before gravity returned abruptly.

With an _oomph_ , Kira thudded into place behind the bars of his new cage. All around him, lights flickered on. No, not lights, monitors, computer screens. Something he hadn’t seen in ages. And there was a figure, the soul of his new host, crouched in a chair.

The entire room brightened abruptly as his new roommate, so to speak, opened his eyes.

Kira’s breath caught.

“L… Lawliet?”


	3. Enter – L Lawliet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which L Lawliet gains a new body

The last thing he saw was Light and that victorious smile. He was dying, he knew it, Light had outsmarted him and somehow killed him and Watari.

He had lost the most intense, risky and thrilling game in his life.

He could barely believe it, but he had lost.

That was his last thought before everything went black.

He was dead.

He no longer existed.

He was without a body or thoughts.

Except that he wasn’t, because he felt something tug at him, pull at him, dragging his awareness away until he was dumped, harshly, in what appeared to be a chair. Suddenly, he wasn’t dead or formless or in the dark. Suddenly, he had a body and limbs and everything and it just blew his mind. Suddenly he could feel, if only vaguely, the chair under him and see the dull lights that penetrated his eyelids. Suddenly he could hear and move.

He needed a moment to reorientate himself and gather his thoughts because he _suddenly_ had thoughts again.

He came to a conclusion then.

L Lawliet was alive (or in heaven or hell, but he was leaning towards alive).

His eyes snapped open and the first thing he saw was a gigantic, red, nine-tailed fox staring him down from behind bars.

L drew in a sharp breath, brain scrambling to process this, but otherwise didn’t react as the fox regarded him with what appeared to be a hint of surprise. He held his breath until the odd fox’s lips quirked into a half smile and it spoke.

“L… Lawliet?”

The words came out in a deep growl. The tone was masculine and there was an obvious Japanese accent to them. It was, unmistakably, his name though.

“I can’t believe it. Of all the souls I could have pulled into here, it was yours! Though you are rather late… by a few hundred years,” the fox continued, still staring. It – he? – let out a chuckle and L stared back in incomprehension. (He vaguely noted in the back of his mind that the fox used ‘washi’ to refer to itself)

First shinigami and now giant talking nine-tailed foxes?

The fox watched him for a moment before its smile fell. “You… really don’t recognize me?” Its voice had changed, subtly. It was less deep and growling than it had been a moment ago. It was also using ‘boku’ to refer to itself now.

“… No,” L eventually managed, gaining back his bearings, “I do not. What are you?”

“That’s rude,” the fox responded, more amused than irritated. “I am a tailed beast, the most powerful of them all, Kyuubi no Kitsune.” It looked thoughtful for a moment. “But perhaps you know me better like this…” The fox made an odd hand gesture with its clawed hands and a puff of smoke engulfed it. L blinked rapidly in surprise as the smoke cleared.

The fox was gone, but in its place stood Light Yagami.

“Hello, Ryuuzaki.”

Perfect features, perfect clothing, perfect hair. Golden eyes and an impeccable posture. It was, without a doubt, his prime Kira suspect. The only thing that had changed was the smile that held much less malice and insincerity and much more mischief and amusement. The curl of his lips was not a lie and the crinkle of the corners of his eyes was more pronounced.

“Light-kun?”

“Yes, that’s right, though I prefer to be called Kira now.”

“Ah, so I was right about Light-kun being Kira,” L brought his thumb up to his mouth out of habit, “Though I had never thought that Light-kun would ever admit it without prompting.”

Light smiled further, not annoyed at all, which was odd. Light usually became a little exasperated and irritated when L accused him of being Kira.

“There really isn’t much of point to all that anymore, Ryuuzaki. We aren’t in that world anymore. We both died… and now we both have another chance at life,” Light explained, folding his arms. “Though you are a bit late, considering that I came into this world some hundreds of years before you arrived here.”

L blinked in surprise at the information, eyes widening slightly. Some hundred years? “What is Light-kun talking about?”

“I am a Biju, Ryuuzaki. A being of immense power that roams this world,” Light smirked. “You already saw my original form. I’m a Kitsune, a fox demon, I suppose you could call it. And you… you are my new host. I’ve been imprisoned in your body. We are currently in your mind.”

That did not make sense at all. “… What?”

Light grinned at seeing L so dumbstruck. “I suppose explanations are in order then. This world is very different from the world you and I once knew, Ryuuzaki…” Light proceeded to give L a basic understanding of the way the world worked, its history, Chakra, Biju and who L was now. He left out a lot though. L could easily figure things out if needed and Light didn’t want to bother with explaining basic things. Behind L, the monitors were filling up with the new information L had obtained and processed. L was, as expected, taking it all in fast, if with a hint of skepticism.

“Perhaps it would be better if you were to go ahead and explore this new world on your own. I’ll be here in your head all the time, so don’t worry about me,” Light suggested when L began looking suspicious and restless and the monitors started gaining question marks.

“How?”

“You’re a genius, figure it out,” Light remarked, sprawling out on the floor of his cell casually. L found this action exceptionally odd from the auburn-haired genius who was obsessed with his image, but nodded.

He turned to look out of the room and at the hallway beyond. The monitors here seemed to reflect what was on the forefront of his mind. Perhaps he could walk out?

L approached the doorway and exited hesitantly.

“No need to be so cautious. This is your mind, after all, what happens here is under your control,” Light’s voice called out. A moment later, a startled Light was next to him, chained to him by a handcuff around his wrist. The seal that had been on the bars was now on the chain that connected them. Light blinked rapidly. “Wow, was that really necessary? You know if I transform back you can’t stop me, right?”

“It was just an experiment to see if I could alter the terms of Light-kun’s imprisonment,” L admitted and Light, disgruntled, was back behind the bars. “It appears I cannot maintain it.”

“Whatever. No matter where in your mind you go, I’ll still be able to talk to you. I can talk to you even when you aren’t in your mind.” Light stretched and, with a puff of smoke, returned to his fox form. “Get exploring, gaki. I’m taking a nap.”

 _Gaki!?_ L felt his eye twitch in annoyance. _What right does he have to call me that?_

“Of course I have a right, since I’m hundreds of years older than you,” Light sounded smug and L glared at him before glancing at the monitors. As excepted, the monitors really were representative of his thoughts.

Huffing softly in irritation, L walked out in his casual slouch to return to the waking world.


	4. Reenter – “L”, the Genius Detective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which L makes a life changing decision.

Uchiha Fugaku stared.

There was another one and boy was he glad for it.

As the chief of the Konoha Military Police, the Uchiha-run police force, he was in charge of maintaining law and order in Konohagakure. However, they weren’t all-knowing. They had limits and, while strong enough to bring any shinobi to justice, some cases just weren’t solvable.

Until _he_ appeared. (or, at least, they think it’s a he. It might be a she though. The use of ‘watashi’ made it unclear)

He did not appear in person, but, rather in the form of cards that lacked fingerprints or Chakra signatures. They were characterized by the odd, stylized symbol ‘L’ on the back.* They always contained hints and solutions for solving a particularly hard case and Fugaku was, for one, grateful.

He would never admit that out loud though.

This person, this L, was very intelligent and though Fugaku was disgruntled at needing help, L had made it so there wasn’t a single case unsolved ever since he appeared four years ago.

Resigning himself to using L’s help once again, Fugaku picked up the card and turned it over to read. He sure did want to meet this person. He wished he could. Then L could join the police force and actually collaborate properly with them.

Little did Fugaku know that a couple of days later he would die, prompting L to join what would be his first year at the ninja academy.

* * *

 

L had never actually thought of going to the academy.

He had never thought it a viable opinion.

He didn’t want or need to become a ninja.

He didn’t need money, the Hokage gave him money. Light, of all people (demons? Kitsune? Beings?), taught him life skills. This world without advanced technology was inconvenient in that he actually had to eat healthy because their medication wasn’t good enough for him to continue his pure sugar diet without repercussions. It was also inconvenient in that he had no computer to work on. It was even more inconvenient that he now had to sleep.

Fighting wasn’t exactly his thing either. Sure, L was a master of martial arts, capoeira in particular, using his previous experiences and this new world to his advantage. He estimated his Taijutsu, as they called it here, to be at low Chunin level, perhaps higher if you considered how unique his style was in this world and how many different forms of martial arts he knew. This new world with Chakra also made it easy to train his body far above his previous level.

Every Ninjutsu and Genjutsu he had tried so far was also easy to master. He had to grudgingly thank Light for that though, since Light had a lot of experience and gave him plenty of advice. He also had to thank Light for giving him the ability to do an actual transformation rather than the usual Henge that most shinobi did. He even used it to buy groceries since everyone here seemed to, as Light said, be short-sighted idiots. He wasn’t too interested in either of them though and had only learned the useful ones, no matter how advanced they were. He had even created few or modified them to suit his purposes, with Light’s guidance and help, including one that would erase his Chakra signature.

Even Fuuinjutsu was relatively simple. In fact, it was probably the easiest of all of them. Fuuinjutsu required the most intelligence, which both L and Light had in spades. L had asked why Light couldn’t undo the seal before if Light had long since unraveled the mystery of Fuuinjutsu. Light had said, disgruntled, that he couldn’t touch the seal. L had decided to leave the seal be, much to Light’s annoyance, since he didn’t fully trust the ex-mass murderer.

Still, L had never desired to become a ninja. He liked being a detective. It challenged his mind, especially in this new world where certain limits were blown away and others were put on. He still occasionally became amazed at some of things that were possible in this world and reached for an electronic device that wasn’t there.

However, to be a detective, to enforce justice properly, they needed a police force. ANBU weren’t good enough. ANBU was a special organization, a secret service, almost, and they could not become the face of justice. Black ops as they face of justice? No way. The I&T division wouldn’t do, either. The people could not look up to them and they did not patrol the streets or enforce the law.

L would become the face of justice, but he would need more than just him. He needed the backing of law enforcement. With the slaughter of the Uchiha clan, the Konoha Military Police was in shambles and L had to give his hints directly to the hokage, which was a pain to do anonymously. The Transformation technique came in handy though.

L would rebuild and head the police force and to do that he needed to become a shinobi.

Light had been supportive, though he had reacted to his decision in that distinctly un-Light “Kira” Yagami way he had taken to. He had smiled secretively and said, “You’re right, L. That’s a great idea. Justice will prevail.” It had irritated L to no end, but he was content that he had the now-ancient powerful fox backing him.

And so that was why he found himself walking into the academy building.

Unfortunately, this would require him to socialize. It wasn’t like he hated it, he just wasn’t good at it.

He wondered if Light could teach him. He should really build a rapport and that required good social skills.

This was so… troublesome.


	5. Enter – Uchiha Sasuke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which L first meets Sasuke Uchiha

Sucking on a lollipop, L slouched his way through the doors of the academy. People stared as he walked, uncomprehending and almost not recognizing him.

That wasn’t too surprising. L knew he looked nothing like what they were expecting. He hadn’t come out of his home in his real appearance for three years. He had always transformed into someone else when coming out, usually female, since it meant less people would connect his appearance to Naruto Uzumaki.

But now, “Naruto Uzumaki” had apathetic blue eyes, dull, messy blonde hair that reached his shoulders and a permanent hunch. He wore baggy blue trousers and an equally baggy white shirt. He constantly snacked on sweets and other confectionaries, bit his thumb, and sat crouched on his chair. He was pale as if he had never seen the sun and his eyes were unusually wide. He had entered a class with his yearmates a year later than he should have.

This was a surprise for all of his classmates and his teachers. They, of course, stared and whispered. Or most of them did.

Some of the more stoic, such as Sasuke Uchiha and Shino Aburame, merely gave him a wary look. The lazy ones, Shikamaru Nara in particular, continued sleeping, and the shy ones, Hinata Hyuuga, didn’t say anything. Their teacher, Iruka Umino just stared, wide eyed, for a moment before shrugging it off.

That was what L noticed as he walked inside. He had researched information on all his classmates and teachers before he had even considered stepping into the academy. He should probably start putting their surnames before their first…

L took a seat next to Sasuke Uchiha, who twitched as L hopped onto the chair and crouched there. A small frown found its way onto Sasuke’s face but quickly disappeared to let boredom take over. L smirked behind his thumb. The kid might be good for his age at putting on masks, but L had dealt with Light, whose masks were impeccable. The young Uchiha’s anguish and anger was obvious. Apparent by the slight crease between his brows, the narrowing of his eyes, the downwards tilt to the corners of his lips and the way he was clenching his hands.

“Uchiha-kun,” L murmured, just loud enough for his desk mate to hear. Sasuke glanced over with narrowed eyes and L turned his head just slightly to look at the other and meet his gaze. “It turns out your brother wasn’t as loyal as they all thought, am I right?” Sasuke’s eyes widened slightly and his teeth grit. “It’s unfortunately very inconvenient for me…”

L was cut off with a furious punch to the face that sent him flying back. He was slightly surprised at the power and speed behind the attack. That comment must have really set him off.

 _What do you expect? You were incredibly insensitive._ Kira’s voice echoed in the back of his head.

 _He’s far easier to piss of than Light-kun is_. L replied as he caught himself with his hand.

 _Well, I_ did _have an exceptional control over my emotions._ It had gone quiet around them.

 _Hm… Light-kun is very arrogant._ L lashed out with a foot, catching the young Uchiha in the chin with a kick.

_It’s not arrogance if it’s backed by skill._

L had enough time to register the surprise and fury on Sasuke’s face before the tragic survivor went flying back and crashed against the wall. L flipped back onto his feet with ease, rubbing at his jaw before he had to duck as Sasuke recovered, throwing another punch.

L wasn’t expecting the leg aimed at his head though, but still managed to block it with both arms, but was sent skidding back. In the midst of motion, he kicked his attacker in the stomach, causing Sasuke to double over in pain and stagger back. L rolled into a crouch following the kick and stood again, rubbing his arms. “You’re very violent, Uchiha-kun,” he commented aloud.

 _He punches harder than Kira-kun_. L informed his tenant.

 _… Do you want me to punch you the next time you come in here? Because I can, and I will most likely pulverize you considering my immense size._ Light’s voice was cheerful, but with a sadistic edge to it.

L blanched, remembering Light’s kitsune form. _No, thank you, Light-kun._ He grabbed the incoming foot while replying. Sasuke had tried to kick him this time, but with a sweep of his leg, L had the angry seven year old on the ground again. The next time Sasuke attempted to attack though, there was outside intervention. Their teacher, Iruka-sensei, had stopped him, grabbing his fist.

“What on Earth are you two doing?” the annoyed teacher asked harshly. “There will be no unprovoked fighting in my class. Sasuke-kun, I expected better of you.” Sasuke snarled and ripped his fist away, glaring at L.

“But it was provoked, sensei,” L spoke up, hunching over and shoving his hands in his pockets. Iruka looked at him with surprise, as did Sasuke. “I had said something without thinking that was, perhaps, very insensitive of me. For that, I apologize, Uchiha-kun.” L had thought about it, actually, but he had no social skills. He didn’t realize how insensitive and blunt it was until Sasuke had attacked and Light had commented on it.

“Hn,” was the only response L got, and Iruka frowned at Sasuke for it.

“Go back to your seats, class is about to start. Getting into a fight on your first day isn’t a good thing, Naruto-kun. Please don’t provoke your classmates,” Iruka admonished sternly.

L blinked at his teacher for a moment before nodding and going to his seat. Sasuke, too, sat down.

 _Perhaps you should run your replies by me next time._ Light sounded amused.

 _Perhaps._ L agreed grudgingly.


	6. Six: Enter – Umino Iruka

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Iruka thinks about our favorite genius

Iruka found Uzumaki Naruto to be a very odd individual. He was well aware of how the village felt about him, but also very aware of how the Hokage felt about him. Iruka, unlike the rest of the village, was able to see past the events of that night and see Naruto as his own person rather than the fox. The Hokage had warned him about Naruto’s oddilities, which had begun to develop after his third birthday and a nasty accident. Iruka had experienced a moment of doubt at that. What if it was the fox? To his surprise, the Hokage had burst out laughing at that and told him to ‘just wait and see’.

So Iruka waited and saw. It was apparent that Naruto had become incredibly… quirky. There was the obsession with sweets, the crouching, the thumb biting. However, Naruto was also a very skilled and intelligent individual. He had fought and defeated Uchiha Sasuke at Taijutsu, his grasp of concepts, shinobi related or not, far surpassed his classmates, and he was able to match a Nara in Shogi. The only fault Iruka could see was his social skills. Naruto was insensitive, blunt, apathetic, able to read body language and facial expressions but unable to fully understand or care about their implications, lacking in emotional intelligence, a lone wolf, ignorant or uncaring of social cues and norms, arrogant, and finally, operated on his own schedule. His only saving grace was his apparent interest and relatively friendly relationship with Uchiha Sasuke and the wish to stay in a class with his yearmates rather than graduate early.

This worried Iruka greatly since teamwork and loyalty to the village and one’s comrades were very important. However, the Hokage appeared to be fond and smitten with these oddities and flaws that Iruka brought up, urging him to get closer to the apparent genius.

Iruka wholeheartedly put himself on that mission since Naruto’s eating habits were worrying and made his protective instincts rear up in revulsion and horror.

When he invited Naruto to eat Dango, the response was for the other to tilt his head at him and say, “There is a seventy-five percent chance the Hokage asked you to look out for me and a ninety percent chance you are doing this because you cannot stand my eating habits. But, yes, I’ll be delighted to join you.”

Either way, Iruka was not expecting that but managed to strike up a sort-of friendship with the quirky genius.

Somehow.


	7. Camaraderie…? – L and the Uchiha 上

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which L makes his move on gaining an alliance with Sasuke Uchiha

L decided to try and gain Uchiha Sasuke’s favor again the day after he made small talk with his teacher over Dango and three days after their brawl. He had used it as a chance to try out a system of communication and improvement of social skills set for him by Light. L would provide a response in his head and Light would make improvements, scolding him when something was very unacceptable or just plain crazy. The now-kitsune would then explain why L shouldn’t say such a thing as L delivered his modified responses. Light did let him keep some of his idiosyncrasies though, like his percentages. Unfortunately, this lengthened his response time.

“Uchiha-kun,” he began that day during class.

Sasuke twitched and glanced over with a wary look. Sasuke had continued to let L sit next to him because L kept his fangirls away. Or, at least, that’s what L had deduced. He had a ninety-eight percent chance of being correct.

“I wish to apologize again for my words that day. As you have probably realized, I’m not good with being social.”

“Hn.”

L felt his eye twitch a little at the noncommittal response. _Hn? What does that mean!?_

Sorry, I don’t translate caveman. Came Light’s sarcastic voice. Calm down and put that brain of yours to use. His mask can’t be anywhere as perfected as mine was.

L took a deep breath. _If I didn’t know better, I’d say Light-kun has narcissistic personality disorder._

_Well you obviously need to relearn your psychology. If you keep making amateur mistakes, I’d think I could commit suicide in your mind._

L was confused by the statement, though he didn’t show it physically. _How?_

_By standing on the immense size of your ego, falling off, and then achieving terminal velocity before smashing against your IQ._

_Light-kun is mean._ L had to withhold a smile at the snarky responses. He preferred this Light, to be honest, to the always charming, always lying Light. Though L couldn’t really say anything against that either. They both appeared to have a knack for lying, though Light’s lies were on a far larger scale. L deceived with his percentages and his apologies and occasionally his motives, but he was true to himself and his character. Light’s entire life was a well-maintained and constructed lie. Or it had been.

L studied the Uchiha sitting next to him. Sasuke had marginally relaxed from his slight agitation with L, accepting his apology apparently. He seemed disinterested, but that disinterest was fake. Sasuke was very much interested in L because L _beat him_. And Sasuke was interested in power and strength. However, Sasuke’s attention was only half on L so L had to change that. Being a detective of his caliber was great in the fact that he had information and he had the intelligence to make connections with that information that no one else did.

“I do not believe Uchiha Itachi was truthful in his motives when he murdered your family.”

Sasuke’s head snapped around and his eyes focused on L with an intensity L found surprising. However, he didn’t lash out.

“Or, rather,” L continued, bringing a thumb to his mouth and biting on it, “I do not believe Uchiha Itachi killed his clan of his own will.” Many facts had stood out to L in that case. Many illogical little tidbits that cumulated into a tangled mess of a case that L was very interested in. He had no doubt that Uchiha Itachi was a part of a bigger plot.

“What?” Sasuke hissed, glancing to make sure the teacher, Mizuki or something (L didn’t trust the man), hadn’t caught on to what they were saying. He hadn’t.

“There is a bigger plot to this that I am trying to unravel. I’ve always been interested I your clan, mainly because they were the face of justice in this village. And because of that, I looked up to them and studied their ways so that I, too, could become a part of their police force one day. I do not like physical confrontations, but I believe I would make a good, if not quirky, detective,” L lied easily, ignoring Light’s cackle of amusement that was in the back of his head.

He had thought about how he was going to approach this, and Light had made adjustments to his mental script where appropriate. Speaking of justice would do nothing for Sasuke, Sasuke wanted vengeance. He could see it in the determined and tense lines of his body, the focused and burning gaze. He also knew that once that vengeance was completed, Sasuke would be left grasping for something to hold onto and, if L’s theories were correct, Konoha would become a target of that burning rage in Sasuke’s eyes.

L paused before continuing, noting the way Sasuke was tense, eyes alight with questions and suspicions and even hopes. He had not yet been completely consumed by the desire for vengeance, which was good. L would use that doubt, that hope. “Do you really think that your brother would kill so many for such meaningless reason? You knew him best. Can you honestly tell me that he would kill as a way to test his skill? Would he truly have killed everyone in order to do so? This was not a test of his skill, this was systematic genocide… but he left you alive. He killed the defenseless and weak, but he left you? Who was closest to him, who did he loved the most out of all his family?”

L almost felt guilty as he watched the conflict in Sasuke’s eyes. It went on for a while, before hope and determination consumed it. Hope, that his brother was innocent no matter what he had done, determination to at least get to the bottom of this tangled mess, if not to make the one who started this pay. But there was also an unstable doubt there, one that spoke of the same sort of darkness as the beginning of that all-consuming vengeance and lust for power that had been there mere moments ago.

“Why are you telling me this?” Sasuke eventually asked suspiciously, “Why are you so involved?”

L tilted his head like curious bird. He would take a gamble with this, but it should be worth it. Somehow, Sasuke reminded him a little of Light, and L was going to do a similar thing with Sasuke that he did with Light. He let a smile stretch across his face, finding it a miracle that his teacher hadn’t noticed his and Sasuke’s talk yet.

From his pocket, he took out a card with a gothic letter ‘L’ on it. There was a seventy-five percent chance that Sasuke would recognize it, since he knew Fugaku had given up on Itachi taking his place and wanted to groom Sasuke to run the police force instead.

He knew he was right when Sasuke’s eyes widened. “Eru…” the title slipped from his lips in a sound of awe.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sasuke decides to join forces with L

Sasuke had known, of course, about the genius detective L, Eru, since his fourth birthday.

It had all started when his father had walked home with an irritated, but awed expression on his face. At the time, Sasuke hadn’t known what had happened but it wasn’t soon before the rumors of a genius detective had been aiding the police force who’s appearance was unknown by all. The only thing that made L stand out was the symbol he had chosen to represent himself with with.

He had only been hearing stories then, but Sasuke had gained a sort of hero-worship towards the elusive detective. He had heard of how L was able to solve cases that stumped even the cleverest and most motivated of the Nara. He had heard about how L was like a face of justice, even if that face was only a symbol.

He had worked extra hard to gain his father’s approval, too, because he really, really wanted to meet L one day. And perhaps, if he succeeded his father as the head of the police force, he could maybe work along this bringer of justice.

When his brother had gone and murdered his clan, he had been prepared to let go of his dream in favor of hunting down that traitor and making him pay in a way that he was sure L wouldn’t approve of.

Yet, here he was, sitting next to the weirdest person he had ever met, and doubting his wish for vengeance. Here he was, with that weird person bringing out a card with ‘L’ on it, just like the one his father had shown him on his sixth birthday.

The awe was unintentional, but L was like a legend to him, a childhood hero.

But then his eyes narrowed in suspicion at Uzumaki Naruto. How could he be L? It was impossible. Uzumaki would have been three when he first started solving cases if that were the case. But he also knew that no one except the police force, the Hokage, the ANBU, and L’s agents (who delivered the cards, of course, Sasuke didn’t know that most of L’s agents were actually just L under his own powerful version of the Henge), knew about this symbol. Uzumaki couldn’t have possibly gotten his hands on a card or on such knowledge.

Unless…?

He was an agent of L’s.

Sasuke opened his mouth to question, but Uzumaki shoved the card at him. “Take it, Uchiha-kun. L wishes for you to have this,” The mostly emotionless boy said. So he was right! But how did Uzumaki become one of L’s agents? (distantly, he noted that Uzumaki said ‘L’ a little differently from everyone else) “Don’t let anyone else see it, the words there are for you only and-“

“Uzumaki!” the teacher seemed to have finally noticed their conversation and snapped. “Stop talking, or do you think you can answer this question?”

Sasuke wanted to kill his teacher for interrupting what Uzumaki had to say, but settled for looking at the card. He tuned out Uzumaki’s obviously correct response (the teachers were pretty stupid for picking on him when it was obvious he would get everything right) and turned the card over.

 _Sasuke Uchiha_ (L was known for putting first names before surnames and it chipped away at Sasuke’s suspicions a little more)

_I have tasked Naruto Uzumaki with giving you this card. As you know, the destruction of your clan was detrimental to the law enforcement. The police force is in shambles. Naruto has probably already voiced some of his doubts about the entire event to you, of which I share with him. I hope I can gain your cooperation for getting to bottom of this mess and also rebuilding the Konoha Military Police. I wish for you to become one of my agents in order to carry out justice once more._

_Please think about it and give your answer to Naruto. Burn this once you are done._

_L_

Sasuke sucked in a breath. There was no hesitation in deciding.

He’d obviously accept.

And from the knowing smile on Naruto’s face, it seemed that Naruto knew this, too.


End file.
